MDOT on I-196 potholes: "This is a great example of when you under invest."

We'll have to wait a bit for a permanent fix on the mess of potholes on I-196.

Author:
Jaleesa Irizarry

Published:
5:26 PM EST February 21, 2018

Updated:
5:26 PM EST February 21, 2018

We'll have to wait a bit for a permanent fix for the mess of potholes on I-196. The problem area is westbound on the highway in Hudsonville between 32nd and 64th Avenue.

Potholes riddled the roadway on Tuesday morning forcing crews to patch them up, but crews were back out there Tuesday night as those potholes reopened. The mess left a number of cars damaged with bent rims and popped tires.

MDOT officials said road crews had trouble filling the holes because of the weather. The right lane of that highway is currently closed as crews do the best they can but officials say it's impossible to have a lasting fix in these conditions.

"This is a great example of when you under invest in roads and bridges especially in a place like Michigan," John Richard, MDOT spokesperson, said.

"To make things worse, the ground is still frozen so the water has no place to go."

The Ottawa County Road Commission tells WZZM 13 that I-196 is way past its life expectancy. MDOT officials say they just don't have the means for a permanent solution.

"We're in preservation mode right now so 131, 196, 96, all the major highways we're trying to preserve the existing conditions of the system which is not easy to do because we've been stretching a dollar for well over a decade now," Richard said.

"Once we get more investment in the state of Michigan for roads and bridges you'll see more long-term permanent fixes but right now, we just don't have the resources to do it. "

Richard says the last time this section was fully reconstructed was back in 2000. The right lane of I-196 westbound will be closed between 32nd and 64th Avenue until noon on Thursday.